Organic wine, vegan wine, ...are very fashionable at the moment but what does the term "vegan wine" really mean? And how is this interesting for our health?

Vegan wine: what is it?

The term "vegan "means that no animal products are used in the manufacturing process, even indirectly.

Wine, fermented grape juice, comes from the vine, so it seems logical that there is nothing animal in its composition. However, the reality is quite different and you will be surprised to find that products derived from theanimal world are present at various stages of its composition.

Be aware, however, that it is entirely possible to do without it, which gave rise to vegan wines.

Where are these animal products hidden in wine?

Current production methods mean that many additions are made throughout the wine making and maturation process.

In order to clarify this one, i.e. to eliminate particles and residues of yeast and to stabilize it, we use egg white, fish glue or even casein (protein present in milk).

For red winesGelatin from the skins and bones of pigs, fish and beef is used. As for white wine, casein or fish glue made of skin and cartilage is used. In ancient wines, there is even animal blood, but this practice was banned in 1997. It is therefore only found in certain wines.

Another stage of production in which animal products are found is bottling. The caps are sometimes coated with beeswax and the labels are often glued with glue made from casein (from cow's milk) or pork products.

We also need to look at how the vines are grown because some fertilizers or fertilizers contain animal meal, animal waste or slaughterhouse remains such as horns, feathers and bones.

What are the alternatives to these wines?

As we mentioned a little earlier, alternatives do exist and that's what gave birth to vegan wines.

As far as wine clarification is concerned, animal proteins and glues can be replaced with vegetable glues made from plant proteins such as wheat, potatoes and peas, mineral clay such as bentonite, silicon dioxide, charcoal, cellulose, gum arabic, ... or simply by not adding glue at all.

Regardingfertilizers, it is quite possible to enrich the soil and preserve the land with humus, with straw or other ground cover.

Organic wine = Vegan wine ?

Be careful, however, not to confuse organic wine and vegan wine.

Bio means that during production most synthetic chemicals are excluded. An organic wine can therefore contain products from the animal world.

Also note that wine benefits from special regulations and that winemakers are not required to list the products contained in the wine on the bottles.

So pay attention to the labels on this one.

Here's a list of the labels you can find on the bottles.

To know their exact meaning, feel free to go to the page : https://www.thevegancellar.fr/labels-vegan/

The approach behindvegan wine is not only ideological and oriented towards animal welfare, but also an environmental approach that advocates a return to a less intensive mode of production, more respectful of the earth and above all more "natural". And for all these reasons, your body can only thank you. So think about that when choosing your wine!